Stray
by goldenlanterns
Summary: In which, Chat finds a friend and Marinette insists they don't have time to take care of it / Resolved love square and excessive fluff because I am weak


**_Hiya guys, I know I'm mega behind on my other writings, but school started this past week, causing every creative idea to leave my brain. Honestly, I've started both my Room 6C Room 6D and Identities chapters, only to get frustrated at around 500 words, so please bear with me and have this fluff in my attempt to make it better. (Also, for the past week, I've been locked from my account so that's just fine and dandy)_**

 ** _Done with the 'woe is me' rant, on to the fic._**

 ** _OOO_**

 ** _I am very amused at the idea of Chat being jealous of other cats, but at the same time, y'all._**

 ** _This is Adrien-Sunshine-Child-Agreste._**

 ** _Adrien-Never-Had-A-Pet-Agreste._**

 ** _Adrien-Starved-For-Healthy-Attention-Agreste._**

 ** _Let me have this._**

 ** _OOO_**

Chat Noir didn't quite know how to tell Marinette that they were adopting a kitten.

She was bound to come at him with her Ladybug logic _We don't have time to take care of a cat_ or _Chaton, someone is probably worried sick, looking for it_. Which, to be completely honest, were fair arguments. Between fashion designing, teaching Chinese and being superheroes, the two didn't have much time. And it could be someone else's . . .

 _But_ , what his Lady would not consider when she went all responsible was the kitten's face. Look at it. _Look at it!_

Chat Noir happened to be nearby running a patrol when someone noticed a tiny Siamese kitten up in a park tree. Chat Noir brought the little bugger down no problem, admittedly smug as hell when the animal fell asleep cradled to his chest. He checked with everyone in the area and after a hour of no one knowing anything, he realized how hungry the little dude must've been.

"Hey buddy," Chat cooed, rubbing the coco colored ears until the cat woke, "Do you like milk? I've heard all kitties do, but I'm not much for it myself."

The Siamese blinked at him with endearing blue-gray eyes, then meowed. The meow sounded a lot like the word 'lactose' so Chat carried the kitty down the street carefully.

"Don't worry my tiny friend, I know a place that we're sure to find you something." Half way to his destination, he found an alley to transform in, ignoring Plagg's angry huff.

As he walked into the Dupain-Cheng bakery, Adrien was met immediately with the bright smile of his in-laws, "Adrien! It's been too long my dear--" Sabine said, almost giving him a tight hug when noticed the creature in his hold, "Oh gosh, what did you find this bundle of fluff?"

Adrien tilted his arms so the woman could pet the kitten, "It was up a tree, and I asked around but no one seems to know where he came from."

"Poor darling." Sabine said, sadly scratching it's head.

Tom pulled a small bowl from the cabinets and then a jug of white liquid and pouring some into the saucer and setting it down, "This is our bakery buttermilk, if he doesn't like this, he's probably sick."

Adrien carefully pried the kitten from his arm and gently placed him near the cream. The cat looked at him, confused.

"Go on, it's alright." He encouraged. Like it could clearly understand, the creature pattered forward and began to lick the bowl clean and Adrien stroked his back with one finger. It was so, so small, it could fit easily into one hand.

"Are you going to keep him?" Tom asked, looking around for more cat friendly foods.

"Maybe." Adrien admitted. He wanted to. As long as the kitty didn't belong to anyone already, the problem would be convincing his wife.

"Marinette just loves cats." His mother-in-law exclaimed, beaming.

He was pretty sure Plagg snorted in his jacket and _Marinette married a cat_ , Chat wanted to respond, but alas, he could not. The tragedy, "Yeah, but she's really busy with her work lately and I definitely don't want to burden her further."

Tom laughed, setting a large, soft hand on the blond's shoulder, "Trust me, if she sees that thing, she'll love it to death."

 ** _OOO_**

"No."

"But My Lady!" He exclaimed, holding the kitten closer to her _The Lion King_ style. Marinette was even more unaffected by the cuteness than he expected.

She pressed her lips, "Chaton, someone's probably looking for him."

"But I asked! No one in the whole park knew!"

Plagg crossed his arms, glaring at the other small cat, "Adrien made me transform like, four times in a row." He grumbled.

"We can't keep a cat." Lady said firmly, crossing her arms as well, "We don't have time to take care of it."

"Cats are very independent."

She raised her eyebrows, reminding him that he was bound to her for life.

"I mean, most cats." Adrien corrected himself, setting the kitten on their comfy apartment's countertops, "Look at him! I was thinking we could name him Jack."

Marinette softened just slightly at Jack pouncing on Adrien's hand for more scratches, but then rolled her eyes, "It's a girl, you can't name it Jack."

Adrien blinked, picked his new friend up and checked, "Oh." He said, then thought, "Jacquelyn!" He announced, grinning.

Jacquelyn meowed.

"See? She likes me! We've bonded! I'm

her mom now."

"Tikki, handle this will you?" Marinette asked her kwami, then shook her head, "I'm sorry Kitty, but we just can't keep her."

Adrien sighed in defeat as she went to the other room and Tikki sent Plagg out of the kitchen, looking sympathetic.

The kwami hovered near his cheek, patting him, "We can't let Marinette know."

Adrien looked at her, eyes widening.

"What?" She asked, smiling, "You think Plagg is the only mischievous one? I just choose my battles carefully."

 ** _OOO_**

It was roughly two days before she opened the hall closet before work to get her coat and found a visitor.

"Chat! Why is this stray cat in our closet??" She shrieked.

Adrien rushed into the hall and snatched up his pet before Marinette did something rash like shove her out.

She sighed, "Adrien."

He pouted, just a little, as Jacquelyn became entertained by a stray string on the hem of his shirt, "I put up signs and I keep asking but no one knows where she belongs and I can't leave her in a shelter Mari, I just can't."

"It was my idea." Tikki confessed, appearing beside the blond.

Marinette just sighed, "Guys, I know you want to keep her but we don't have time for it. If it'll get attention in a shelter, that's the best place for her to be."

"Marinette please, _please_. I promise I'll do everything, liter, food." She was breaking, he could see it.

Tikki was holding her red hands together like she was begging, "You won't even know she's here."

Jacquelyn meowed questioningly and Marinette cracked, "Okay, okay! She can stay but--"

Adrien pulled her into a awkward hug, the kitten between them, "Thank you-Thank you-Thank you! Here," He held the kitten at eye level, "I don't think you two have been properly introduced."

The Siamese sniffed and then licked Marinette's nose, the girl looking cross eyed from staring at Jacquelyn.

It was probably the cutest thing Adrien Agreste had ever seen in his entire life.

She smiled, just a little, "But you have to handle her yourself, okay?"

Adrien hugged the small cat to his chest and she didn't oppose, "No problem." He clarified, then winked, "I handle my ladies just fine."

His wife rolled her eyes playfully, "You sure do." She pulled her coat from the hangar and gave him a kiss on the cheek, "Fashion calls. I'll be home in a couple of hours, love you."

"Love you too." He replied, stroking soft fur.

Plagg suddenly grumbled from no where, "Great. Perfect. Now everybody's cat crazy, even you Tikki."

Tikki stuck her tongue out at him but Marinette saw an opportunity, "I've always been cat crazy." She said, locking eyes with her partner and standing him a wink, one just as flirty as the one he gave her a few moments ago.

Adrien laughed earnestly, even if he was blushing, "Bye My Lady, see you tonight."

Plagg mumbled something about grossness and zoomed out, leaving Tikki and Chat in the hall.

"Well Mademoiselle Jacquelyn, I do believe you're due some milk right about now, don't you?"

The kitten meowed in agreement.

 ** _OOO_**

The first few days went off without a hitch. But as Jacquelyn got more curious about the Agreste apartment and started to explore, the more she began to bother Marinette.

"What?? No, get down from there, you can't sleep in the food pantry!"

"Adrien! Get her out of our bed!"

"Cat fur . . . All over my fine silk . . ."

But one time, on a particularly long night for both of them, he couldn't believe how mad she was, "No don't--! Adrien!" She practically screamed from the spare office room.

He jumped up and met her at the door, "Whaswrong?" He slurred, just woken from a cat nap on the couch, when he was supposed to be grading Chinese tests.

Marinette had tears in her eyes but her jaw was set, holding a piece of drawing paper with a design she had been perfecting for weeks. Except now, there was a rip, right through the middle, " _Get that thing out of here_." She said with clenched teeth.

Adrien rushed to put the little cat on his shoulder, "She didn't mean to Mari, I know she didn't . . ."

"It doesn't really matter, does it?" She said thickly, rubbing her temples, "Weeks and weeks of brainstorming . . . Urgh, just get her out of my sight before I kick her out of the whole apartment."

He knew better than to challenge her so he brought Jacquelyn to the hall closet, turning on the light inside, "No." He told her firmly, "You do not mess up Marinette's sketches. She works really hard on them."

The kitten sunk to the floor, guilty.

"You need to be good, or you'll have to leave. I told you that." He said, then shut the door, doing his best to ignore the painful scratch as she pawed the wood.

The blond went back to Marinette, rubbing the round of her shoulders, "Are you okay?" He asked softly.

She nodded, wiping her cheek, "I just worked so hard and . . ."

Adrien pulled her into an embrace keeping her there until she was calm again, "I'm so sorry." He whispered, "Maybe you're right, maybe we can't handle--" There phones beeped simultaneously, cutting him off, and Marinette pulled hers out.

"Public disturbance." She said as he read it himself, "I'll take it."

"Are you sure?"

Blue eyes met his, "Yeah, I could use the fresh air and a break." She gave him a watery smile, "Don't worry love, I'll be fine."

"Doesn't stop me from worrying Bugaboo." Adrien responded. He leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss, "I love you."

She touched his cheek, "I love you too, I'll be right back." A few seconds after she left the room, he heard a now familiar call for her Miraculous.

Adrien went back to the hall on a mission, his kitten needed a lesson in manners.

 ** _OOO_**

His wife came back rather chilly but otherwise fine, and after a two mugs of hot chocolate, the couple basically fell into bed.

Only to wake up, with Marinette having a terrible cold.

Ever stubborn Ladybug, the girl refused to admit she was sick, "Call back my assistant! I feel fine!" Followed by a fit of coughing so hard, Adrien was surprised her esophagus was still in place.

"My Lady, darling," He whispered, head buried into her shoulder, "Let me take care of you."

She sighed and ruffled his hair a bit, "You're ridiculous." Marinette whispered back softly but her tone was letting him have his way.

The boy placed a kiss to her jaw before hopping up and heading to the kitchen. After searching-ahem, ransacking-the food pantry, he found what he wanted.

Roughly twenty minutes later, Adrien was carrying a bowl of warm(and cheese free, no thanks to Plagg) chicken noodle soup back to their room when he stopped, a foot from the door way. From there, he had a clear view of his sick Lady and the purring cat who had stretched out on her stomach.

"You're not so bad." Marinette cooed quietly, petting Jacquelyn.

She meowed and let her head fall into the blankets before perking up at the sight of her green eyed owner in the doorway.

Marinette turned bright red, "She jumped up here." The dark haired girl explained.

He beamed, setting the bowl on the nightstand and hopping on the bed beside her, "My Lady, are you trying to steal my kitty?"

She rolled her eyes, "I have enough to deal with, living with you."

After a year of the two being married, Plagg and Tikki knew exactly were this was going and made themselves scarce.

Adrien kissed her neck, stroking Jacquelyn, "But I'm still your favorite, right?" He glanced down, "No offense."

Jacquelyn nuzzled his hand and Adrien supposed he was forgiven.

Marinette thought about it, "Hum . . ." She teased.

"My Lady!" He exclaimed, "Aren't we married?"

"That's true," She agreed, smiling and kissing his cheek, "Okay, you're my favorite kitty."

"And you're my favorite bug." Adrien replied, beaming.

"But it's really, really close." She added.

Aghast, he cried, "Marinette!" And the girl burst into giggles, quickly trying to make up for her jokes with some kisses. Even if her sickness would have them both bed ridden for the next few days, they could live with that.


End file.
